The Ultimate Guide to Wet and Dry Extraction for Vehicle Interiors

Remove all floor mats, child seats, and personal items. Perform an exhaustive dry vacuum using a high-powered shop vac. Use a crevice tool to get deep into seat tracks and between bolsters. 80% of carpet cleaning is successful dry soil removal; if you add water to red dust before vacuuming, you create mud that is ten times harder to extract.

Use an air compressor with a tornador or high-pressure nozzle to blow out dust from under seat rails and inside seams. In Australia, red dust settles in the tightest gaps. Blowing these out prevents the 'wicking' effect where dirt travels from the foam to the surface during the drying process.

Mix your pre-spray according to the soil level. For heavy red dust, a 1:4 (product to water) ratio is often required. Fill the extractor's clean water tank with warm water (max 50°C). Do not use boiling water as it can delaminate carpet glues and damage the extractor's internal seals.

Check for dye stability by applying a small amount of cleaner to an inconspicuous area (like under the seat). Wait 60 seconds and blot with a white microfibre. If colour transfers to the cloth, stop immediately and use a pH-neutral cleaner instead.

Mist the pre-spray chemical evenly over the section you are working on (e.g., the driver's footwell). Do not saturate the foam underneath; you only want to dampen the surface fibres where the dirt resides. Allow 5-8 minutes of 'dwell time' for the surfactants to break down the surface tension of the oils and dust.

Using a drill brush or a stiff hand brush, work the chemical into the fibres using a cross-hatch pattern (up and down, then side to side). This mechanical action physically detaches the red dust and salt crystals from the individual carpet strands, suspending them in the chemical foam.

Place the extractor head at the top of the section. Pull the trigger to release the rinsing solution and pull the tool towards you slowly (about 2-3cm per second). Apply firm downward pressure to ensure the vacuum seal is maintained against the carpet.

This is the most critical step. Go back over the same area without pulling the trigger. Watch the clear nozzle; continue making dry passes until you no longer see water being pulled into the machine. This prevents mould growth and reduces drying time in humid conditions.

Overlap each pass by approximately 20-30%. This ensures no 'strips' of dirt are left behind and provides a uniform clean across the entire floor pan or seat base.

For grease or sunscreen stains (common in summer), apply a dedicated degreaser or citrus-based cleaner. Agitate with a smaller detail brush and repeat the extraction process until the stain is gone.

If the vehicle is frequently near the ocean, use an acidic rinse (or a 1:10 vinegar/water mix) in the extractor tank for the final pass. This neutralises the alkaline salts and prevents the 'stiff' feeling in the carpet once dry.

When extracting seats, always work from the top down. Gravity will pull excess moisture downwards. Be cautious around side-impact airbag seams; do not over-saturate these areas.

Never use an extractor on a headliner. The suction and moisture will dissolve the glue holding the fabric to the board, causing it to sag permanently. Use a damp microfibre for headliners instead.

While the carpet is still slightly damp, use a carpet brush to comb the fibres in one direction. This 'piles' the carpet, giving it a professional, uniform appearance and helping it dry faster by increasing surface area.